Chasing the Moon
by Grace157
Summary: Lupin has told her that he isn't looking for a relationship but it seems that Tonks has got other plans in mind, and if it involves making his life at the Order nothing short of chaotic then so be it. A fluffy series in which Tonks refuses to take no for an answer.
1. Early Morning Blues

_Author's Note: A little something I wanted to upload in time for Valentine's Day but it ended up being a bit late (it was a full moon this week- could a Lupin fic be any more appropriate?), though I'm hoping to post another five parts or so. I'm not much of a Remadora shipper as a general rule, but I love the idea of Tonks refusing to leave Lupin alone. The title may change later, so keep an eye on it._

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><p>He'd known this day was coming. He just hadn't expected it quite so soon.<p>

Lupin stared glumly at the boiling kettle on the stove, trailing his wand absently through the steam curling up from the spout. It was seven o'clock on a Monday morning at number twelve Grimmauld Place, and as usual he was the first one up, though it seemed that this particular morning wasn't going to go as smoothly as most. With a sigh, he took the kettle off the boil and poured hot water into two spotted blue mugs.

A hand reached out to take one. 'Thanks.' Tonks smiled warmly at him as she cradled the hot drink close to her chest. 'Free coffee? I should get weighed under with work more often.' She'd arrived only a few minutes ago with a stack of papers as thick as her arm. In typical Tonks fashion, they were due in today and she hadn't even started on them.

Lupin found himself unable to meet her fond expression and turned away to reach for the small pot sitting next to the stove. 'Do you take sugar?'

'No, ta.' She took a noisy slurp as he heaped several teaspoonfuls into his own mug. Why did it have to be today?

When he turned back she was wearing a satisfied expression. 'You make a good cup of coffee, Remus.' She leant back against the counter, eyes closing as she inhaled the steam. With her pink hair tamed to a gentle marshmallow she looked uncharacteristically peaceful. Lupin hated to spoil the mood, but he might as well get it over with.

'Tonks,' he said slowly, putting down his mug, 'I've been meaning to have a talk with you.'

Tonks opened her eyes sleepily. 'Yeah?'

He slipped his hands into his pockets to prevent himself from fidgeting and forced himself to hold eye contact with her. 'What we have between us... it's been wonderful working with you, and I'm very glad that we're good friends-'

'Hear, hear.' Tonks toasted him with her mug before talking another long draught from it.

Lupin took a deep breath. 'And that's the way I think it should stay.' The words fell like dead weights between them and he immediately wanted to snatch them back out of the air, but he'd made up his mind to have this issue addressed before it had the chance to go any further. After a year of working together they'd become very close friends, but recently Tonks been dropping hints that she might be after something more than friendship.

'Oh.' Tonks raised an eyebrow. 'I see.'

'Now I don't want you to be offended,' he said hastily, 'but I just wanted to clarify should the thought have occurred to you. I consider my job at the Order my first priority and I'm not looking for anything... not right now.'

At the last three words, Tonks raised her other eyebrow. She didn't look angry or embarrassed as he'd expected her to be. Instead, she looked puzzled. 'What, never?' She put her empty coffee cup down on the counter without looking at it.

'I'm not the right person for you,' he said wearily. 'Believe me when I say it wouldn't work.'

Tonks took the tiniest of steps towards him, hands clasped together behind her back. 'Are you sure about that, Remus?' she asked quietly, with the tiniest glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

'I'm too old for you, Nymphadora,' said Lupin sternly. 'And if you think that I'm going to let a young witch like yourself be stuck with someone like me-'

'Aww, look at you getting all schoolmasterly,' she chuckled.

_'Tonks-'_

'It's nice of you to be concerned Remus, but I _am _old enough to think for myself, thanks. And besides-' She smirked at him. '-so what if I like older men?'

'Now look,' said Lupin, feeling his cheeks grow warm despite himself. 'I am not the kind to joke around and I do not say this lightly. I'm a social outcast, a burden, unable to find work or keep a house of my own- and what's more I'm at least ten years your senior.' He lowered his voice as he heard the front door opening. Moody was always one of the first to arrive. 'I am not suitable for someone like you.' Tonks opened her mouth to interrupt but he shook his head at her. 'Now please, I don't want to hear another word on the matter. I want you to dismiss this idea completely, and find someone who isn't as dangerous as I am.'

Tonks stared at him uncomprehendingly for a few moments, then shrugged. 'Alright,' she said, holding out her hands for emphasis. 'Alright, you've convinced me.'

Lupin blinked. 'I have?'

She nodded vigorously. 'Yup. Totally convinced.' She picked up the stack of papers from the kitchen table and hefted them under her arm. 'And I _solemnly swear_ that I won't say another word about it.' She began to edge out of the doorway.

Lupin relaxed hesitantly. 'Good. I'm glad we're clear.'

'Not another word,' she reiterated, then her face broke into an enormous grin and she slunk out of the room. 'See you later, Remus. And thanks for the coffee.' She winked at him, then the door closed behind her.

Lupin listened to the sound of her retreating footsteps, taking a thoughtful sip of his coffee. Had he been firm enough with her? Perhaps his worries had been unfounded, but she'd still been unusually cheerful about it all. He'd like to think that she'd taken his advice, except that he'd seen that expression on her cousin's face all too often. It was the one Sirius had worn back at Hogwarts whenever he had a great plan up his sleeve, usually involving a prank of some kind...

Lupin sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily. He had a feeling it was going to be a long week.


	2. A Splash of Colour

_Author's Note: Part two is here! Quick thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review part one. I'm really pleased that so many have enjoyed it so far._

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><p>True to her word, Tonks didn't mention their conversation for the rest of the week. In fact she acted as though nothing had happened at all, and to Lupin's relief she remained as friendly towards him as always- though he had to remind himself that it didn't hurt to put a little distance between them. He was only glad their talk hadn't offended her. To lose her as a friend... it would make life at the Order much more uncomfortable, to say the least. Such was his relief that for a while he failed to notice the subtle changes in Tonks' behaviour that occurred as the days went by.<p>

It was only small things at first: the odd smile when he walked into a room and the occasional glance that lasted perhaps a second too long. Tonks always seemed to have work to do, and she began arriving early with stacks of papers almost every day. Initially Lupin thought nothing of it, and he welcomed the newfound company on those quiet mornings before the day started. But when he came downstairs one day to find her already sitting at the table with two cups of coffee he began to wonder if there was something he was missing.

Tonks also developed an uncanny knack of knowing where he was at all hours of the day. More often than not whenever he went in search of a quiet place to read he'd find her there before him, casually practicing her charms or experimenting with different hair colours. Something about it didn't feel right, but it wasn't until over a week had passed that Lupin finally worked out what she was doing.

Wednesday was conference day, which meant yet another two-hour meeting in the drawing room to assess the current situation of the giant alliances. Lupin had little to contribute to the discussion, and as his thoughts drifted he found his gaze wandering over the faces other Order members. Hagrid was listening with rapt attention to Moody's speech and puffing out his chest importantly, but opposite him Sirius looked about ready to fall asleep in his chair. Tonks' head was propped up on one elbow but she was doing her best to look interested, nodding every so often when Moody looked her way. He smiled at her bored expression. It was rare to see her sitting still for so long. She was twirling a lock of hair around her finger, and as he watched the strands turned acid green, then turquoise, then the deepest shade of magenta-

'Honestly Remus, could you try to pay attention?' growled Moody, his magical eye scrutinising Lupin with disapproval as he slammed a hand on the table and sent the cups rattling. 'We need to reach a decision by the end of today and I'm not in the habit of repeating myself.'

Lupin blinked stupidly and looked about him, realising that he'd lost the thread of the conversation. The majority of the Order looked vaguely sympathetic, no doubt attributing his distractionto the approaching full moon, but Sirius was giving him a strangely knowing sort of look which he didn't like at all. Tonks smiled at him uncertainly before turning back to the discussion. Had she noticed him looking?

'I'm sorry Alastor, please continue,' he said politely, whilst mentally giving himself a smack upside the head. He'd made a point of not giving out mixed messages. Why on earth had he been staring at her like that?

Moody grunted and straightened up. 'Now as I was saying...'

Sirius raised his eyebrows at him questioningly, but Lupin only shook his head slightly before fixing his attention on Moody. He didn't want to catch Tonks' eye again.

Once the meeting was over Lupin helped Mrs. Weasley clear the cups away and gallantly insisted on washing up. Aside from any awkward questions Sirius might ask he wanted to avoid facing Tonks if possible, so it was without much thought that he turned on the taps and rolled up his sleeves before proceeding to wash up manually. Cleaning the brown-stained mugs only reminded him of the previous Monday,but at least it kept him out of the way until-

'Want a hand?' murmured a voice in his ear.

Lupin started, and the cup he'd been holding fell from his grip and shattered on the floor. 'Tonks, don't do that!' he protested, picking up the tea towel and attempting to mop up the suds he'd spilt down his jumper. 'You startled me.'

Tonks took out her wand. '_Reparo._ Sorry, Remus. _Accio._' With one flick of her wand the pieces reassembled, and with another it was clutched in her hand. 'Not like you to be clumsy,' she observed, 'maybe it's catching.' Lupin shrugged, turning back to the sink. He paused as she leant over him, her elbow lightly brushing his hip as she dropped the cup back into the sink. 'You seemed a bit tense at the meeting. Anything I can help with?'

Lupin shook his head. 'It's nothing some sleep won't cure,' he assured her as he rinsed off the last cup. Truth be told it was nothing a cold night in Sirius' cellar wouldn't cure, but she took his meaning with a sympathetic nod.

Tonks picked up the bottle of washing up liquid and made an appreciative noise. 'Good colour.' In a flash, her straight pink hair became lemon yellow curls. She swished it experimentally. 'What do you think?'

Lupin spared her a glance and instantly felt his eyes watering, though it was hard not to admire the way it bounced over her shoulders. 'A little harsh on the eyes, perhaps,' he allowed, forcing himself to look away for the secondtime that morning. Tonks could make even the most bizarre hairstyle look like a fashion statement.

'Hmm, maybe you're right.' With another shake of the head she was back to her usual shocking pink. 'Do you want someone to dry?' She indicated the stack of dripping mugs now sitting on the draining board.

'No, thank you.' He picked up the tea towel before she could reach for it. So much for getting away quickly. 'Don't you have to attend that infiltration conference at eleven-thirty?'

'Cancelled,' she said simply,siding closer to him as he started drying. Lupin wasn't sure why she seemed so distracting until he realised that he was having to restrict his arm movements to avoid elbowing her in the stomach. He stepped away from her mumbling an apology, but by the time he'd finished with another two cups there was barely three inches of space between them again. He glanced at her as he put it back on the drainer and caught a mischievous glint in her eye. 'Did you need something, Nymphadora?' he asked pointedly.

Tonks shrugged, choosing not to address his use of her first name. She'd been allowing for that a lot lately, he realised. 'Not really. Just thought you might want some help.'

He smiled. 'There are only six cups. I think I'm capable, thank you.'

All the same she handed him the next one, and as their fingers brushed he gulped slightly. Lupin surreptitiously switched the tea towel to his left hand to avoid accidents and tried to ignore the invasion of his personal space.

Tonks laughed softly and leant in close. 'You know it would go a lot quicker if you used magic?' she whispered, her warm breath tickling his ear.

'I- I've never been very good at domestic spells,' he stuttered, and his excuse for hiding out of the way sounded pathetic even to his ears. He turned slowly towards her, hoping he didn't look as nervous as he felt. Tonks was so close that he could smell her watermelon shampoo, and his skin prickled in anticipation of her touch as she leant still closer.

'Be a lot easier with two,' she breathed, her lips almost brushing his, and before he could say another word she'd walked past him and left the kitchen without a glance behind her.

Lupin stared after her, dumbstruck. All of a sudden, everything about Tonks' strange behaviour made sense: as he'd feared, his talk with her hadmisfired, though not in the way he'd expected it to. In attempting to erase the subject from her mind he'd only brought it to her attention, and now she was testing out just how much she could get away with. Tonks was a loyal and devoted friend but also the most persistent witch he'd ever met, and once she'd set her mind on something there was little stopping her.

Lupin put down the tea towel with a sigh. He felt a headache coming on. It was entirely the moon's fault he told himself, stowing the bottle of washing up liquid back in the cupboard under the sink. It had absolutely nothing to do with Tonks' hair. Nothing whatsoever.

He looked up as a shadow appeared in the doorway. 'So then, Moony old friend.' Sirius was smiling at him expectantly, hands in pockets. 'Spill the beans.'


	3. Wolf Hounded

_Author's Note: This one was a devil to write. I am seriously sorry that this one has taken so much longer to be posted. My final A-level exams are coming up and revision is eating up most of my free time so please be patient with me (the next few chapters are already drafted so they shouldn't take as long in the future). In case anyone was wondering by the way, this story isn't set within any specific timeline so don't be surprised if some events disagree with the books; just think of it as an alternate canon where some bits are switched around. _

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><p>Lupin glanced uneasily over his shoulder as he climbed the stairs to the third floorlanding, wincing at every step that creaked under his foot. It was ridiculous to be sneaking around the house like this- in his own home, technically- but he'd had a long day and really needed to be somewhere quiet for a while. Lunch hour had become one of the most stressful times of the day, and finding places to go where... <em>others<em> wouldn't find him was getting increasingly difficult.

The door at the end of the landing had once led to the bedroom of Walburga Black, Sirius' mother. Now when he eased it open it revealed a spacious room devoid of furniture. The thick green carpet had been torn away along with the matching curtains and straw was scattered over the bare floorboards. A small mountain of cushions was heaped up in the far corner beside a bucket of water and a horse's grooming brush. The room's current occupant had looked up at the sound of the door handle and now he wandered over to him, studying him unblinkingly with a beady orangeeye.

'Hello again, Buckbeak,' he said softly, reaching out to pat the Hippogriff on the beak.

'Remus?'

Lupin jumped guiltily. Sirius was crouched behind the great bird, rummaging in a large burlapsack. 'Checking on Buckbeak?' he asked with a knowing smile, then shook his head. 'Don't worry, I won't give you away. It's a good place to hide when you need the peace.'

'Would you mind if I stayed here awhile?' he asked tentatively.

'Not at all.' Sirius reachedinto the bag again and pulled out a dead ferret. 'As long as you're not squeamish, only he hasn't had his lunch yet.' He pointed to a battered old stool lying on the floor.

Lupin sat down gratefully, aware of all the aches and pains in his muscles and joints as he did so. It was still two weeks until the next full moon, but it might as well have been two days.

'You aren't looking too well, you know,' Sirius noted, dangling the furry snack in front of the Hippogriff's face. 'Bad week?' When Lupin didn't reply, he smirked. 'I don't suppose it has anything to do with what's going on between you and a certain pink-haired witch?'

Lupin raised his head. It had been two weeks since the washing up incident, but despite Sirius' many probing questions he had refused to explain the situation to him. For one thing, it was too embarrassing. 'What makes you say that?' he asked blankly.

Buckbeak's head jabbed forwards and snapped up the food, squirting blood onto the floor. Sirius made a mock-thoughtful face. 'Oh, only the various _hints _she's been dropping here and there.'

Lupin leant back against the wall and closed his eyes. 'Hints?'

'You know, the way she's been following you around like an overfriendly pygmy puff, hiding any possessions you care to leave lying around the house, ahem, _falling _into you whenever you pass by- or should I say _onto_ you...?'

Lupin blushed. In a particularly well-executed move, Tonks had "missed" the bottom step when coming downstairs one afternoon and used him as a landing mat. Her chin had slammed into his forehead and just about knocked him senseless. 'I thought no one had seen that,' he said stiffly.

Sirius grinned. 'Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I'm happy for you both.'

Lupin fixed his gaze on the blood-stained floorboards, where Buckbeak was busy snapping up the leftovers he'd dropped. 'There's nothing going on between us,' he said firmly, 'it's just... taking her a while to get the message.'

Sirius let out a great guffaw that made Buckbeak squawk and ruffle his feathers indignantly. 'So _that's _what this is all about!' he cried. 'Why didn't you tell me before?'

Lupin glared at him. 'It isn't something I feel comfortable talking about.'

Having crunched his way through his first helping, Buckbeak looked pointedly at the uneaten ferret hanging at Sirius' side, but Sirius ignored him. 'You know you can always tell me, though,' he said, sounding a little hurt. 'Is it really bothering you that much?' Tossing the ferret at the Hippogriff's feet, he sat down on the floor in front of him. 'Come on, talk to uncle Padfoot. I promise I won't laugh.'

Despite himself, Lupin couldn't resist a small smile. 'You were always one for gossip, weren't you? Alright,' he said wearily, 'here's what happened.'

And he told him the full account of Tonks' deeds, beginning with the giant alliances meeting. He'd suspected that Tonks had been planning something, but even he hadn't predicted the lengths that she would go to. It was only little things at first, like staring at him from across the table whenever they ended up at a conference together, but it hadn't taken Lupin long to realise that he was seriously out of his depth. She developed a particularly unnerving habit of standing in doorways at key points of the house, ready with a loud greeting whenever he passed so that he ended up constantly peering around doorways before entering a room. In only a few days, Tonks had turned the Order Headquarters into a hunting ground.

'I had no idea she was so persistent,' Sirius chortled. 'And she's been at this for...?'

'Two weeks,' Lupin sighed. 'I'm beginning to wonder if she'll ever give up.'

He sat back on his haunches with a look of dawning understanding. 'So that's what all that book business was about.'

'You know about _that _as well?' Lupin was beginning to wonder if it was possible to keep anything a secret anymore.

'Only a garbled version from Tonks, but I assume it was exaggerated slightly.' All the same, he looked to him hopefully, eager to get the full story. Grudgingly, Lupin obliged.

He'd been on his way back from lunch one afternoon when he remembered that the notes he'd written for his talk on the werewolf intelligence gathering were folded into the book he'd been reading the previous night (even for someone who usually had pockets full of chocolate wrappers, Lupin was often short of bookmarks). Hurrying back to the reading room, he searched the sofa where he'd been sitting but it was nowhere to be found.

'Lost something, have you Remus?' asked Tonks innocently, stepping out from behind the door where she'd apparently been examining a spider's web.

'Yes,' he said. 'I don't suppose you've seen a book of Muggle poetry lying around?'

'"_The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe"?'_

'That's the one.'

She shook her head vigorously, hands behind her back. 'Nope, haven't seen it.'

Lupin straightened up slowly from his inspection of the sofa cushions. 'Are you quite sure?' He frowned at her, and she held out her empty hands obediently.

'Not _completely_ sure.' She opened her arms, and he noticed that she was wearing one of her snuggest leather jackets. 'Might be worth checking just to be on the safe side. D'you think it could be in one of the inside pockets?'

Lupin glanced up at the ticking clock on the wall. The meeting was in less than five minutes and he really needed those notes...

Tonks' smirk faltered as he drew his wand and summoned the book from its hiding place- stuffed behind the cushions on the opposite sofa. 'Nice try,' he murmured, and left the room with a smug smile on his face, pleased to have the upper hand for once.

He wasn't smiling the next day when she hid his wand instead.

'You said you wouldn't laugh,' Lupin protested as Sirius snorted.

'I'm sorry, but she does remind you of how we used to be, doesn't she?' He waved a hand. 'Do go on.'

He hadn't thought it was possible, but Tonks seemed to become even clumsier than she normally was. The numerous crashes and bangs that followed him at every turn were a constant source of misery for Mrs. Black's portrait in the hall, and anyone who had to walk past her. Almost every day Lupin ended up with something spilt over him, whether it was milk and cornflakes,pumpkin juice, or boxes of itching powder she'd confiscated from Mundungus. Each time she would "helpfully" offer to wipe it off for him, and he was glad that his time cleaning up after James and Sirius' pranks had provided him with skill at scouring charms. That said, some of the stains just refused to come out and the majority of his jumpers were currently in the wash (luckily Mrs. Weasley wasn't one to pry). It was only the hot tea incident that had truly tested his patience; that time it probably _had_ been an accident but the results were still painful. He shifted uncomfortably on the hard stool.

Sirius was shaking his head, still smiling. 'I never thought I'd see the day that Remus Lupin was out-pranked by a Hufflepuff.'

'I'm just not sure what to do,' said Lupin, rubbing his forehead wearily. 'I don't know how to cool her enthusiasm without offending her, and I don't want to risk our friendship. How am I supposed to be professional about it when she keeps...' He gestured vaguely, but his friend got the point.

'I see the problem. But aren't you just a little flattered by it? You told me only a few weeks ago it's been a while, and back at Hogwarts-'

'We were all silly young idiots who welcomed the attention. Now I have a job to do, and it's just... getting in the way. She's a very fine witch, but I can't just-'

'Do you have any feelings for her?'

'I-' For a moment, Lupin didn't know quite what to say. This wasn't a question he'd been expecting. 'Does it matter? She knows perfectly well it would never work between us.'

Sirius had a strange expression on his face and he seemed about to say something before changing his mind. 'So what are you going to do?' he asked finally.

Lupin sighed. 'Ignore her, I suppose, until she gets bored. I've tried talking to her but she just won't listen. She knows full well how I stand; flirting won't change that.'

'Well, go easy on her, won't you? I'm sure she means well.'

'You wouldn't say that if she was chasing _you_,' Lupin pointed out.

He shrugged. 'So she's a bit off-the-wall, but at least she's brave enough to let you know how she feels. There aren't many women around like her- even if she _is_ a little odd.' He smirked. 'You're two of a kind, if you ask me.'

With an unexpected amount of effort, Lupin stood up. 'I don't hide behind doors and spill drinks over people's clothes, Sirius,' he pointed out.

He appeared to consider this. 'I suppose so.'

Lupin sighed. 'Just promise me that when I wake up after the next full moon, I won't see her standing over me.'

Sirius frowned. 'I'm sure she wouldn't go quite so far as that.'

'Perhaps, but I wouldn't care to give her the chance.'

He snorted. 'Why, is there something you're embarrassed about?' He seemed about to make an inappropriate joke, but the glare he received caused him to back away a little. 'Alright, I promise.' He got up and drew another ferret from his bag. 'But I still think you should talk to her.'

Lupin sighed and shook his head. 'I doubt it would make any difference, but thank you for listening, Sirius. I appreciate it.' He gave Buckbeak another pat on the head as he left the room, feeling a little better than he had done that morning. As the door clicked shut behind him, he scratched absently at his elbow then grimaced. Itching powder was more difficult to wash out than you'd think.


	4. Chocolate and Watermelon

_Author's Note: Thanks for sticking with me, guys. This series has turned out to be nearly twice as long as I originally thought! Looking at around 9 chapters altogether, and getting to the slightly shippier stuff soon (chapter 5 will probably be the fluffiest one yet). I'm going to say right now that I really want Tonks' hair. Her crazy colour choices can never be exploited too much in fanfic in my opinion._

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><p>'Oh, not <em>again!' <em>Sirius' growl carried through the house as Lupin descended the stairs. It was Friday afternoon, and with only a few hours until work ended (there was just one more meeting to go), he was looking forward to spending most of the evening with a book and a cup of tea.'What's the matter, Sirius?' he asked calmly as his friend emerged from the reading room.

Sirius rolled his eyes. 'Someone's hidden four sacks full of potions in there, and I'd bet you ten galleons it's contraband.'

He sighed. 'Mundungus again?'

'I've had enough of it. We're supposed to be an Order, not somewhere to keep his "merchandise".' He gestured at the door with his wand. 'Couldn't keep an eye on it for a minute, could you? Be best to interrogate him with the evidence still here.'

Lupin smiled. 'Least I can do, Padfoot.' The defences meeting wasn't for another ten minutes. He still had plenty of time.

With a grateful nod Sirius set off to find the wizard responsible, leaving Lupin to step inside.

The reading room wasn't being used at the moment; it was still being cleaned after twelve long years of neglect. The floor had been swept but the blinds covering the window were furred with dust, and blanket-covered furniture and boxes of things to sort had been pushed up against the wall. The sheet covering the large table near the door had been folded back to reveal several burlap sacks stuffed with glass bottles that had been previously hidden underneath it.

Lupin knelt down and began to sort through them, careful not to break any in case they contained poison. The bottles were of various different sizes and shapes but none had a label to identify their contents. Every single one was filled with the same foggy, pale pink concoction. Cautiously, he uncorked a long thin bottle and took a small sniff. Chocolate. He frowned, swilling the contents around. Potions wasn't his strongest subject but he had a pretty decent knowledge and there were none he could recall that were cocoa-based. Setting the bottle down on the table, he picked up another and unstoppered it. Chocolate again. He tried another, then another. All chocolate. Unless he was mistaken it was dark chocolate. A Honeyduke's brand to be precise, much like the kind he often bought whenever he could manage a trip to Hogsmeade...

'Ah,' he murmured with a nod to himself. 'Amortentia.' The most powerful love potion ever invented; of course it would smell of chocolate. But what on earth was Mundungus doing with a hundred bottles of it?

'Special delivery?' asked a familiar voice.

Lupin smiled and straightened up. 'Stolen goods, more likely.'

Tonks wandered in, eyeing the bags. Today her hair was short and wavy, bright red with streaks of green. 'Dung been dealing in bad goods again?' She sat down on the edge of the table and picked up one of the opened bottles, holding it up to the light. 'Hope it's not Polyjuice, or Molly'll go nuts.'

'No. It's Amortentia.' He gestured at the bags. 'All of it, as far as I can tell.'

'Ooh, _lurrve_ potion.' She beamed at him like a Cheshire cat, swinging her legs under the table. 'Better not leave them lying around unguarded, then. A_nyone_ could steal some, and then who knows what might happen?'

Lupin pretended not to notice the meaningful eyebrow-wiggling that accompanied this last statement, but surreptitiously bent down to make sure the other bags were fastened. You couldn't be too careful, after all.

He looked up as a bottle was slid across the table to him, and caught it before it could fall off the edge. 'Go on, then. What d'you smell?' Tonks held a second bottle to her nose and inhaled deeply. 'Hmm. I'll tell you mine if you go first.'

Amortentia was unique amongst potions: its scent was evocative of whatever a person found attractive so it was unique to each person who smelled it. Lupin realised that he was very interested to know what hers would be.

'Very well.' Lupin breathed in the silvery vapours that coiled up from the open bottle. Now that he knew what to look for, he was able to decipher the multiple scents that overlaid each other. **'**Chocolate,' he told her, recoiling as the scents made him dizzy. With the full moon only a week away his nose was particularly sensitive and he had to fight the urge to sneeze.

'Five points to Hufflepuff. I guessed that one. Okay, my go.' She paused dramatically, her brown eyes turning green to match her hair. 'Petrol. The old diesel stuff my dad used to put in his van when I was a kid.'

Lupin sighed wistfully. 'Books. Musty, old books with leather spines.'

Tonks' eyes never left his as her voice lowered to a murmur. 'Earth, after lightning. That crackly, damp electric smell.'

'The burn of wax candles.'

'Fireworks.'

They smiled at each other. It was like trading secrets. Tonks fiddled with the cap of the bottle as she waited for him to name another scent, and he found the movement of her fingers strangely fascinating. It was then that Lupin became aware of something else in the potion that he'd missed before; something soapy yet vaguely fruity. It was one of those factory imitations of a smell, fake yet still pleasant. He frowned and took another sniff. 'Shampoo, I think?' That was new. What was more, he knew it was something he'd smelled quite often, but he just couldn't place it.

Tonks' legs swung to a halt. 'Shampoo?'

'Yes, though I don't know why. Coconut maybe, or perhaps...' His voice trailed off as his eyes settled on her green and red hair. _Watermelon_.

Tonks laughed softly. 'Oh, yeah? Well you know what else I smell?' She pushed off from the table and stood up, her eyes shining. But her expression faltered as her foot caught in the cover on the table and she fell forwards, arms flailing. Lupin rushed to grab her around the waist before she hit the floor, taking most of her weight as her knees buckled. The bottle she'd been holding shattered on the carpet, spattering their clothes with potion.

'Sorry,' Tonks mumbled, her face muffled in his chest. As she struggled to right herself the door burst open and Mundungus stormed in, closely followed by Sirius.

'I told you,' he was saying angrily, 'it's got nuffing to do with me! What the bleedin' 'ell would I want with a load of potions? It's not like they'd even sell for that much!'

'And I suppose they all just rolled in by themselves, did they?' Sirius came to an abrupt half as he caught sight of them. 'Oh, are we interrupting?'

Lupin realised that he holding her tightly against him, so tightly in fact that Tonks appeared to be having difficulty breathing. Somehow her arms had ended up around his neck.

'No- um- Tonks just... fell.' He disentangled himself from her awkwardly, his cheeks burning.

'Never seen you move so fast, Remus,' said Tonks, massaging her ribs with a wince. She gave Lupin a little half-smile and he looked away quickly. There was an awkward pause.

Mundungus coughed. 'If we could do this another time, Sirius-'

'I don't think so. Molly's been meaning to have a little chat with you since she found your stash of "second-hand" cauldrons hidden in the attic. She was positively thrilled to hear that you're on the premises. '

Despite his ruddy complexion, Mundungus managed to go several shades paler. 'Oh no...'

'We'll leave you to it,' said Lupin hastily, only too eager to get away. The two of them fled the room like guilty students, not speaking until they were out of earshot. To his surprise, Tonks looked almost as embarrassed as he felt; her cheeks were pink as she attempted to flatten her ruffled red hair. 'I'm sorry,' he said hesitantly.

'For catching me? Don't be.' Pausing at the bottom of the stairs, Tonks leant on the banister and studied the splashes on her jeans. 'This stuff washes out, right?' She licked her finger and rubbed at a damp patch on her shin.

'I'm not sure.' Lupin could smell chocolate wafting off their clothes and it was starting to make him feel hungry. 'I'd better go and change,' he excused himself.

'Me too.' Tonks followed him. 'I'm thinking of having a shower as well. Care to join me?'

Lupin didn't even try to hide his amusement. 'What am I supposed to do with you?' he chuckled, shaking his head.

They rounded the landing and Tonks opened the bathroom door. 'Buy me a drink, maybe? Don't bother with any Amortentia, though. Alcohol would be fine.' She winked at him, then closed the door.

Lupin leant back against the wall and closed his eyes, smiling to himself. He'd never known anyone quite like Tonks. Hopefully Mundungus wouldn't feel the urge to talk; there were enough rumours about the two of them flying around as it was.

_'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...' _As water pattered in the shower, Tonks began singing under her breath. _'You make me happy when skies are grey...' _Aside from the odd time when she'd hum a song that was stuck in her head, he'd rarely heard her sing. He was surprised how melodious her voice was. _'You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.'_

She had a nice voice, he noted idly, yawning. Strange how he'd never noticed that before...

'Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting, Remus?' Mrs. Weasley asked him as she stomped up the stairs. Her face was red as though she'd recently been shouting; it wasn't difficult to guess who had been on the receiving end.

Lupin's jaw went slack with horror. 'The defences meeting!' he yelped. 'How could I have forgotten?'

'Well, the last I saw they weren't in the best of moods, so you'd better hurry.'

Lupin all but fell down the stairs to the drawing room, cursing the fact that he didn't have time to change out of his potion-splashed trousers. How did Tonks keep distracting him like this? It was starting to get embarrassing. He couldn't allow himself to keep falling into that trap, he told himself sternly. Lives depended upon the Order and nothing could come before that. In any case, once this meeting was over he had the weekend to himself.

And so for the next hour and a half he concentrated fully on the task in hand without so much as a thought spared for anything else. Others found this slightly more difficult, and indeed Moody spent much of the meeting trying to figure out where the smells of pumpkin juice and scorched Death Eater were coming from.


	5. Tangled Wool

_Author's Note: I should probably stop apologising for taking ages to update and just get my bum in gear. Exam season is nearly here so updates are likely to slow down anyway, but I'll do my best to keep this moving._

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><p>When Lupin awoke, the pale dawn light was barely bright enough to illuminate the specks of dust that drifted past the gap in the curtains. Blinking the heaviness from his eyes, he checked the ticking watch on his bedside table: half past three. Still plenty more sleep to be had until the morning. Lupin smiled and turned over, reaching for the covers that had fallen off him in the night.<p>

An owl hooted somewhere overhead as he attempted to pull the blankets over his head, but they seemed weighted down and he couldn't get them above his elbows. Frowning, he raised his head and looked down.

There was a lump at the bottom of the bed.

Lupin sat up abruptly, drawing his knees to his chest. Despite years of training and experience in fighting the Dark Arts, he'd never had to deal with a night-time intruder. Had Sirius decided to play some sort of prank on him for old times' sake?

Lupin snatched up his wand and muttered, '_Lumos.'_

The lump groaned as white light fell across the sheets, chasing away the shadows. It was curled up and wrapped tightly in the blankets, but there was no mistaking the mousy brown hair that protruded from it.

Cautiously, Lupin lowered his wand. 'Tonks?'

Tonks moaned and screwed up her face, turning away from the light. 'D'you mind? I'm trying to sleep.'

'Tonks, it's three o'clock in the morning!' he hissed. 'What on earth do you think you're playing at?'

With evident difficulty Tonks sat up, her sleep-ruffled hair sticking up in all directions. She was wearing some sort of grey shawl which she hugged closely to her body, but underneath that she was still wearing her day clothes. 'Is this your room?' she asked in bemusement, squinting at her surroundings. 'I didn't think anyone slept on this floor.' She did look genuinely confused as she turned back to him, blinking in the light. 'Nice pyjamas, by the way.'

Lupin glanced down at his grey flannel shirt and tried not to look embarrassed. The full moon was now only a week away and he was conscious that his scars were darker than usual. He was also conscious that Tonks was wearing a lot more than he was.

Searching for a swift change in subject, his gaze settled on the woolly thing Tonks was wearing. Now that he looked at it again, he realised it wasn't a shawl, or even a jacket. In fact, it looked distinctly familiar...

'Is that my cardigan?' he asked accusingly, pointing at it.

Tonks stared at him uncomprehendingly, still half-asleep. The dishevelled cardigan was several sizes too big for her and it hung from her petite frame like an anorak on a child. She had to push the baggy sleeves over her elbows in order to use her hands. 'Um. Yeah. I found it downstairs. It was cold!' she said defensively, waving her arms for emphasis. The sleeves fell back over her hands and flapped about her like elephant's ears.

Lupin sighed. 'What are you doing up here, anyway?' he asked, placing his lit wand on the bedside table.

'Lost my wand.' Tonks yawned and attempted to flatten her hair, which turned baby blue as she ran her fingers through it. 'By the time I'd finished looking, everywhere was locked down.'

'And you thought it would be a good idea to come and share with me?' Lupin attempted to sound stern but the severity of his words was lost as he too found himself unable to hold back a huge yawn.

'I didn't know it was your room!' said Tonks indignantly. 'It's freezing down there. I tried to sleep on the sofa and woke up with Sirius' bloody house elf standing over me. He _hates _me. Even more than he hates you, and that's saying something.' She stuffed her hands into the pockets of his cardigan, and he narrowed his eyes in disapproval as the material stretched and strained. 'It's very comfy,' she said lamely. Her body drooped forwards, and as Lupin leant over to open the curtains she wrapped her arms around his elbow.

'Hmm, you're warm,' she murmured happily, snuggling sleepily into his side. She yawned again.

Lupin stiffened as he found the back of his hand pressed up against her stomach, then smiled reluctantly as she began to snore softly. 'Alright,' he surrendered, shrugging out of her grip. 'You can sleep here. But only for tonight, you understand.'

Tonks didn't even open her eyes as she crawled to the head of the bed and burrowed down under the blankets, her blue hair forming a cloud over her face. 'Thanks Moons, you're the best.'

Lupin frowned at the affectionate nickname but didn't comment on it. He lay down carefully, keeping as far away from her as possible and turning towards the wall. It took some time for him to settle down again; Tonks' presence was a little distracting, though the sound of her contented breathing wasn't entirely unpleasant.

He was almost asleep again when a thought occurred to him. 'Tonks,' he said slowly, frowning, 'how did you even know there was a bedroom here?'

The only response he received was a vague snort. Tonks was already asleep.


	6. The Cabinet of Broken Dreams

_Author's Note: Now that my exams are finally over, I can get this series moving again! I've wanted to write this chapter for a while, and I'm pleased it's finished at last. In case anyone is confused, the band Tonks quotes here is Green Day. Uploads will definitely speed up from this point on- and so will the plot developments..._

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><p>'It's in this one,' said Sirius as they walked into the living room, 'though how it got in there is anyone's guess.'<p>

Lupin tapped his wand against his chin thoughtfully as he eyed the hefty wooden cabinet that had been dragged into the middle of the floor, its dusty surface covered in dark circles where Black family heirlooms had been cleared from it. The doors were sealed with a heavy padlock. 'Boggarts aren't the brightest creatures but they have a talent for getting into small spaces,' he told him. 'How long has it been here for?'

'Oh, I don't know. Years, I'd imagine.' Sirius drew his own wand and pointed it at the cabinet. Lupin noticed that his grip seemed tighter than usual. 'So, together then?'

Lupin did his best to look hesitant. 'Actually, I was hoping you'd guard the rear. If we both go in and it slips past us...' He left the sentence hanging. He didn't doubt Sirius' duelling ability, but Azkaban had made a tremendous impact on his old friend. He didn't want to think what seeing a Dementor again, albeit not a real one, might do to Sirius' morale. As Harry had proven, even a Boggart Dementor wasn't incapable of inflicting damage.

Sirius took a step back with only the barest hint of relief, and nodded as if this made perfect sense. 'Good thinking. I don't like the idea of chasing it around the house.' It was Saturday morning so the place was nearly empty. Apart from the possibility of Kreacher coming down to see what they were doing, their only real worry was disturbing Mrs. Black's portrait.

_Riddikulus. Riddikulus. _Lupin practiced the wand movement a few times to refresh his memory. His Boggart always turned into the full moon, but this held little fear for him since the image alone couldn't make him transform. However, the dreaded time was fast approaching and he knew his reflexes weren't as effective as usual. Especially after getting hardly any sleep last night-

'What are you guys up to?' As if conjured by the very thought of her, Tonks strolled in from the kitchen, her hair its usual bubblegum pink. In one hand she clutched a bowl of pixie puffs, in the other a dripping spoon.

'Boggart trouble,' Sirius explained. 'We seem to have a small army of them living in this house.'

Tonks wandered over, munching cereal. 'The cabinet of broken dreams,' she mused, gesturing at it with her spoon.

Lupin considered this cryptic statement, the phrase stirring something in his memory. 'That's a Muggle band, isn't it?' he said slowly.

She chuckled. 'Oh Remus, you're so sweet.'

Sirius snorted. '"Sweet?" I hardly think a man who irons his socks could be described as "sweet". How badly did you hit your head when you fell on him?'

Lupin resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the pair of them and pointed his wand at the locked cabinet.

He was about to utter a spell when Tonks wandered straight into his line of casting. She stumbled as she stepped over the edge of a rug, spilling milk down her front. 'Oops.'

'Perhaps you should keep out of the way until we have this under control?' he suggested, a little more forcefully than he'd intended. His headache twinged in response.

Tonks mumbled an apology and shuffled out of the way, still eating her breakfast. If she was offended by his curt dismissal she didn't show it.

Ignoring the questioning look Sirius gave him, Lupin waved his wand at the padlock. _'Alohomora!'_ It sprung loose and rattled to the floor, coated with rust. They waited for a long moment, wands trained on it, but the doors remained firmly closed. If there was a Boggart inside, it didn't seem very eager to make itself known.

'It _is_ this one,' said Sirius, though he didn't sound certain. 'I'm sure this is the cabinet Moody was talking about...'

Lupin crouched down, ignoring the pains in his knees as he did so. He pressed his ear to the door, listening for a long moment.

Sirius flicked his wand at the doors. 'So what does your Boggart look like, Tonks?' he asked.

Lupin glanced up at them. He reckoned he could hear something moving inside.

'Dunno.' Tonks scratched behind her ear with the handle of her spoon, looking thoughtful. 'It's been ages since I've seen one... a few years ago I got home one night and there was one in the washing machine. Kept changing into a pair of frilly underpants.'

Sirius laughed. 'That's not very frightening.'

The cabinet doors creaked unhappily as Lupin eased them open, alert for any sign of movement within, but all he could see was blackness.

'Yeah, it must have been hiding in the laundry basket when I threw everything in. I think the washing powder made it a bit confused.' She shrugged. 'Anyway, I'd better get changed.' Placing her spoon into her empty bowl, Tonks stepped around Sirius in order to make her way to the kitchen.

This was no use; he needed a proper look. Getting onto his hands and knees, Lupin leaned further forwards until his head and shoulders were inside. The cabinet was slightly larger than its outside dimensions suggested; no doubt it had been enchanted to hold more.

Something shadowy was crouched in the corner, its outline indistinct. Frowning, he held out his wand, ready with a spell to throw some light on it.

So when something moved behind him and pinched him hard enough to bruise, he was taken completely off-guard.

Lupin sprang up in surprise, and there was an enormous crash as his head connected with the ceiling of the cabinet. He fell backwards onto the floor, gasping as stars popped in front of his eyes. Squinting through the pain, he glimpsed the ends of someone's pink hair disappearing around the kitchen door and heard muffled snickering. Even Sirius was struggling to hold back a grin.

Lupin blushed as he clambered to his feet, momentarily at a loss for words. _'Tonks!' _he began angrily, unsure what he was going to say next but feeling that something stern was in order.

Sirius turned to him, his dark eyes shining with amusement, then the smirk froze on his face froze as his gaze settled on something behind him. Lupin followed his eyeline and turned around.

Tonks was climbing out of the cupboard.

Her hair and clothes were a tattered, bloodied mess. There were tear-tracks down her face, and her brown eyes were shining with fear and distrust as they met his own.

Lupin stared at the Boggart, horrified as it straightened up, crying silently. Her pink hair was turning grey and retracting into her skull, her nose stretching into a snout…

_'__Riddikulus!' _barked Sirius, and there was a crack as the Boggart disappeared.

Lupin stared at the place where it had stood, heart hammering in his chest. For how long had his Boggart taken on that form?

In the kitchen doorway, the real Tonks stood watching them, looking between their faces uncertainly. How much had she seen? Her eyes met his with a nervous smile and he imagined her infected like him, with streaks of grey in her colourful hair and ugly scars across her youthful face…

'Excuse me,' he croaked, and left the room without another word, leaving the two of them staring after him.

His footsteps echoed as he all but ran up the stairs and he didn't stop until he was in his room with the door closed behind him. With a weary sigh he sank down onto the bed, his legs unsteady beneath him. His heart beat out a frantic rhythm from the shock of seeing his worst fear- his _real _worst fear- played out before him, and his wand was clutched so tightly in his hand that it seemed in danger of snapping. As he tried to focus on evening out his shaky breathing, he happened to glance up and see the mirror on the wall opposite him.

The Remus Lupin looking back at him was a wreck. His eyes were dull and his face was ashen, the scars dark in contrast with his skin. Even with two weeks until the full moon he could see the wolf within fighting for control. He thought back to the Boggart Tonks and tried not to think about what he would do if he somehow managed to infect her. She'd be an outcast like him, shunned by society. A horrible future played out before him: the two of them trying endlessly to find steady jobs, struggling to locate safe places to transform every night since the luxury of Wolfsbane potion was unattainable outside Hogwarts. Being forced to listen to her agonised screams as she transformed for the first time, and the second, and the third...

It was a future that must never be allowed to happen. And if he had to put Tonks' wellbeing before her happiness, however long-term she perceived it to be, then that was what he would do. Even if it would make life hardly worth living anymore.

Lupin hid his face in his hands.


	7. Purple, Red and Grey

_Author's Note: This was probably the hardest chapter to write so far. A big thank you to everyone who read or reviewed the last part- I'm glad you haven't given up on me! There will be just two more chapters after this. Hard to believe it's nearly finished after so long..._

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><p>'I'm starting to think you're avoiding me.'<p>

Lupin looked up from his book as Tonks flumped down on the sofa beside him with a squealing of springs, causing his sensitive ears to throb in protest. It was Friday night, and before long the moon would reach its peak point in the sky; the worst twelve hours of the month had arrived once again.

'Are you alright, Remus?' she asked softly, drawing her legs up onto the sofa and crossing them in a childlike way that made him envy her younger muscles.

He smiled weakly, going back to his book. 'I think I'm used to it by now,' he told her.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tonks' chest gently rise and fall as she sighed. 'I know- but not that. You've been acting really strangely all week, only showing up for meetings and the rest of the time you're locked away in your room.' She waited hopefully for an answer, but Lupin only continued to read. 'Anything I can do?'

'Not really,' he replied without looking up. 'I'm sure it'll pass on its own.' He turned the page, pretending not to notice her eyes on him. It had been nearly a week since the Boggart incident and still the memory haunted him. Luckily Tonks had been taking a break from her pink hair, so he wasn't reminded quite so forcibly of the wolf he'd seen her turn into, but even so it was a difficult sight to forget. He'd done his best to distance himself from her, but avoiding Tonks was much easier said than done.

She continued to watch him for perhaps another minute or so without speaking. Just as he was about to finally look at her and say something to break the silence, she got up and went into the kitchen.

Lupin sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily, willing his headache to lessen so he could think straight. On a Friday he often looked forward to a few hours of reading and an early night, but of course that wasn't going to be possible on a full moon. He should really make his excuses and go somewhere else, but avoiding Tonks required a surprising amount of energy and he realised he'd sorely missed her company. Besides, when you knew that in a few hours you'd undergo the extremely painful process of transforming, reading didn't pose a very good distraction.

On the coffee table beside him the candle flickered in its bracket, dribbling wax. Lupin prodded the little flame with his wand and used a vanishing charm on the wax before it could burn the wood. Ever the magical purists, the Black family had refrained from installing electric lighting so during the darker hours they had to make do with what they could find until a proper source of light could be set up; the house had fallen into disrepair since Sirius' arrest. This thought prompted more bad memories, and Lupin tried unsuccessfully once again to focus on the words in front of him that seemed to shimmer in the yellow light.

'Here,' said Tonks, reappearing from the kitchen with two large mugs. She handed him one. 'You look about ready to fall asleep.'

'I wish I could,' he said wistfully. 'Thank you.' Taking an experimental sip, he found it was hot chocolate.

Tonks looked thoughtful as she sat down beside him, cradling her mug in both hands. Today her hair was indigo and fell to her shoulders in soft waves. 'Well, since you can have sugar now it seems a shame to miss the opportunity,' she said. This was true; when taking wolfsbane potion consuming sugar in any form rendered it useless. Since he no longer had access to it he supposed he might as well make the most of the small luxury.

Lupin wished he didn't feel quite so drowsy. After a moment's hesitation he closed his book, which exhaled a small cloud of fragrant dust. 'Why are you here so late?' he asked. The hot chocolate seemed sweeter than usual; he wondered vaguely how much sugar she'd put in it, then remembered that with the full moon so close his senses were likely to be confused.

Tonks shrugged. 'Had stuff to finish. Moody's getting twitchy about things being on time so I stayed on 'til it was done.' She stared down at her mug, a strand of purple hair twisting free from behind her ear. Lupin wondered when her crazy colour choices had ceased to be a novelty and had become part of everyday life. Some people were constantly amazed by it, but for him it was simply part of her personality and he no longer questioned it. 'And... I wanted to talk to you,' she said hesitantly. 'I feel like we haven't been hanging out as much as we used to, and I guess I'm partly to blame for that.' She bit her lip, still not looking at him.

Lupin waited for her to elaborate on this, but she didn't. To fill the silence, he drank some more of his hot chocolate. The warm drink only made him sleepier, but it chased away some of the chill in his bones. 'I'm glad to have you here,' he said truthfully, and Tonks smiled. Once he'd talked Sirius out of accompanying him (after so many years in Azkaban it didn't seem right to make his old friend sleep on the cold floor of the cellar), he hadn't expected to see anyone else until the night was over.

'I just wish there was more I could do,' Tonks said at last, her own mug untouched in her hands. 'You never complain about it, even mention it. It's just not fair.' In that moment, she suddenly looked very small beside him, her hair drifting in the steam from her drink. He wondered if he saw tears in her eyes or whether it was the flickering light from the candle, but in that moment he wanted to comfort her. Somehow with the moon hanging in the sky outside, all his reservationsseemed to have slipped away.

'I'll be fine,' he assuredher, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder.

Tonks smiled sadly back at him, her gaze roaming over his face. He wondered if she was looking at his scars, and was instantly conscious of them, but then she shook her head. 'I've never met anyone like you, Remus,' she said quietly. 'You go through hell every month, then act like it's nothing because you don't want to upset anyone.'

A surprised laugh escaped him. 'That's very... insightful of you,' he said, meeting her eyes. Brown eyes, the colour of chestnuts. In his sleepy state, he found he hadn't the will to look away. 'I've just realised,' he said. 'Your eyes...'

Tonks blinked. 'What about them?'

'You never change them. Your hair's a different colour for every day of the week, but your eyes always stay the same.'

Her lips pressed together in a smile and she looked down at her lap, uncharacteristically shy. 'That's right.'

Normally, Lupin would have withdrawn after sensing it was something she didn't want to explain. But tonight he wasn't quite himself, so he gave in to his curiosity. 'Why?'

He hadn't realised he'd been leaning slightly towards her until Tonks looked up and her face was only a few inches from his. Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't try to move away. 'Because...' The word sounded clumsy and awkward on her lips, which he noticed were chapped as though she'd been biting them. She took a deep breath that was a little shaky, and her head tilted towards him. 'Because...'

Even afterwards, Lupin would be uncertain exactly how he'd ended up kissing her, except that in the next moment her lips were pressed against his. In that instant everything seemed to be frozen in that one second, the gentle ticking of a clock somewhere in the house the only reminder that time still existed. There was no telling how long they remained there, surrounded by the scent of musty old books as the wax candles burnt lower. He could smell the watermelon shampoo on her hair, the taste of hot chocolate still lingering in his mouth...

Unbidden, an image of Mundungus burst into his head, speaking from several weeks earlier: _"It's got nuffing to do with me! What the bleedin' 'ell would I want with a load of potions?"_

And then Tonks: _"Better not leave them lying around unguarded, then. _Anyone_ could steal some, and then who knows what might happen?"_

Lupin pulled away. 'Tonks,' he said slowly, realising how sluggish he felt. 'Did you...' He could still taste the sugar, and at once it seemed too sweet.

Tonks just stared back at him, apparently as stunned as he was by what had just happened. Her expression was unreadable.

'You didn't...'

A bemused smile spread across her face. 'Didn't what?'

Lupin looked at his empty mug on the coffee table. She couldn't... she wouldn't... 'Tonks,' he said quietly, 'please tell me you haven't.' All of a sudden seemingly unconnected things began to click into place. His headache, his tiredness, his sudden noticing of Tonks' hair-

The world shuddered beneath him as he stood up faster than he'd intended to. 'Tonks, I've put up with your behaviour these past few weeks but this is a step too far!'

Tonks' smile vanished instantly. 'What... what are you talking about, Remus?'

Lupin struggled to focus on her dismayed expression. 'I understand that you've been struggling with your feelings for me, but I still trusted you as a friend.' He gestured at the cups. 'And to do something like this-'

Tonks rose to her feet, scandalised. 'I've been your friend for over a year,' she said incredulously. 'You really think I'd betray your trust and stoop to spiking drinks? That I'd take advantage of you on _this _night of all others?' Her voice rose to a shout.

'Now that you mention it, yes I do!' He raised his own voice. 'You've been making me look like a fool in front of the entire Order for weeks to the point where I doubt anyone takes me seriously anymore! Such childish behaviour hardly seems suitable for someone working to overthrow Voldemort!'

Tonks didn't even flinch at the mention of the dark wizard's name, but her eyes narrowed and she folded her arms. 'This isn't Hogwarts, Remus. I'm not some love-struck teenager with no one else to turn to.' Her words singed him like venom.

'Well, you're certainly acting like one,' he snapped back, 'since you refuse to accept the fact that I am far too dangerous to even be considered as-' He cut himself short, not wanting to finish that particular sentence.

In the brief silence that followed, the wrinkled brown head of Kreacher the house elf peered curiously around the edge of the door, large ears pricked to absorb the ongoing drama.

'Yeah? As what?' Tonks' purple hair began to turn a deep shade of red. Even in the candlelight, it hurt his eyes. 'You're really going to spend the rest of your life wasting away in this grotty old place?'

'It would be better than being with you.'

A dead silence fell. Lupin had surprised even himself with his harsh words, but there was no taking back what he'd said.

Tonks stared back at him, and her eyes turned from brown to the grey of a cold winter sky. 'Fine, then. Since you're obviously so much better off without me.' In one swift movement she turned and walked away, drawing her wand from her pocket and all but blasting the living room door off its hinges as she marched through. Kreacher, who had been hiding behind the door, instantly retreated into the shadows and slunk away.

Lupin watched her go, unmoving.

Tonks' high heels clicked along the hallway, and she swore loudly as she knocked over the troll's leg umbrella stand.

As always, Mrs. Black's screeching could instantly be heard throughout the house. Even Kreacher winced and covered his ears. 'TRAITORS, HALF-BREEDS, SHAME OF MY FATHERS-'

'OH, SHUT UP YOU UGLY OLD HAG!' bellowed Tonks, even louder.

And for the first time ever, Mrs. Black did as she was told.

The door slammed so hard that the very air seemed to shudder. Lupin stormed off in the opposite direction, nausea curling in his stomach. It wasn't long until the change, he was certain. Normally he would never be here so close to the transformation, but the presence of Tonks had always made him a little reckless. He threw open the cellar door, which crashed off the wall and was sent juddering off its hinges. Without another glance behind him he stepped inside and locked the door behind him, engulfing himself in blackness. He threw down his wand and jacket, not caring where they landed, and felt his way over to the corner of the cellar.

The stone floor was cold beneath him as he sat down, every muscle in his body complaining. His headache was positively awful and he felt lightheaded; he knew that tonight's transformation was going to be particularly unpleasant.

As he waited in the dark, imagining the full moon rising up through the clouds to its peak point in the sky, Lupin finally allowed himself to think the thoughts he'd been suppressing for so many months. He thought of Tonks' constant cheerfulness that could throw light on even the dullest day, her sunny laughter, her utter clumsiness that always raised a blush to her cheeks and an embarrassed smile to her lips. When he'd signed on at the Order and his status as a werewolf got around, she'd been the only stranger who hadn't treated him with caution and distrust, or asked him awkward questions about when he'd been bitten. And now in just one night, their friendship had been ruined. She might never speak to him again.

Even as the ice-hot pains began running through his body and he fought the cries of pain that formed within him, Lupin brooded on their quarrel. Even when he'd known how much was hanging in the balance as she'd left, he hadn't gone after her to apologise.

Because he knew deep down that it was for the best. She deserved someone better. Someone younger, with life and energy and joy in their heart. Someone unbroken, untainted. Someone who was not him.

The wolf-Lupin let out a mournful cry, and then the Beast took over and the blackness turned grey.


	8. Cracked

The first thing Lupin became aware of was a vague feeling that something bad had happened.

The second thing he noticed was the dull ache in every inch of his body. 'Ouch,' he mumbled, which didn't quite cover it somehow.

A cold hand pressed against his forehead. 'Keep still,' said a familiar voice, and there was a disapproving tut as he instinctively attempted the opposite and was rewarded with a sharp twinge in his side. The pain awoke him fully, and in an instant the events of last night came flooding back. 'Tonks,' he sighed, putting a hand to his face and discovering the bump of a magically-healed gash. He remembered it all in hazy detail as if it was a bad dream. What had come over him?

Sirius' face came into focus as he pulled the hand away. 'Yes, we do sound similar, don't we?' he said dryly. 'Welcome back, Moony.' He was sitting on a stool beside the bed he was lying on. There were lines under his eyes and he looked pale and tired. 'How do you feel?'

Lupin knew without looking that it had been a particularly bad night. He felt as though he'd been beaten all over and whenever he breathed he felt a searing pain in his side. 'I've been better,' he managed, grimacing. 'Is it bad?'

Sirius eyed him critically. 'Fairly,' he said carefully.

'Worse than usual?' he pressed, trying to decipher his thoughtful expression but finding it difficult to focus on him for long.

Wordlessly, Sirius poured out a small cap of Skele-Gro from the bottle sitting on the bedside table. 'You were badly scratched up. Take it steady, you lost a lot of blood.'

It was an effort to sit up. Lupin took it from him without much enthusiasm and downed it in one go, his eyes watering as it burned his throat.

'I think a couple of your ribs are cracked,' he explained. 'I'll get Molly to fix them when she has a moment, but I'd better not risk it. I'm a bit out of practice with spellwork, to tell you the truth.' A brief smile appeared on his face that didn't meet his eyes.

Lupin flopped back down onto the pillows, feeling wretched. True, he always felt awful after a full moon, but this… combined with everything else that had happened he wasn't even sure he could get out of bed. Not that he particularly wanted to. He shivered in the thin pyjamas he'd been dressed in and pulled the blankets up higher. He was half-inclined to drift off to sleep again when the significance of his words sunk in. 'Is Molly here? On a weekend?'

Sirius looked awkward. 'Er… no. It's Monday, Moony. You were out for a full day. I thought it best not to wake you.'

Lupin stared bemusedly up at the ceiling. With transformations nothing was new, but the only time he'd slept for a day was back in seventh year at Hogwarts, when the stress of revising for NEWTs had coincided with his mother being severely ill. He supposed he had been rather anxious lately...

Sirius sighed. 'Remus, why did you have to go and put your foot in it?'

Lupin closed his eyes. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. What did you say to Tonks?'

He looked up at him. 'She came in today?'

'About three hours late, yes. I've never seen her look so fed up. Didn't she come to visit you last night?'

'I- yes.' He didn't want to think about it. He just wanted to go back to sleep so he could ignore the guilt that was growing inside him.

'What did you say to her?' Sirius' voice had turned slightly cold, and Lupin was surprised at the intensity of the stare that was now directed towards him.

'Does it matter?' he asked irritably. 'What's done is done.'

'She's my cousin. Yes, it matters. And I can put two and two together: it's quite clear that she's convinced you don't-'

Lupin sat up, ignoring the flare of pain as he did so. 'That I don't what? Care about her safety or her future?' He glared at him. 'No one deserves to be burdened with me like that.'

'Then aren't I lucky?' Sirius folded his arms, but there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. 'I know you're only grumpy because it's the first day of the month.'

'She doesn't deserve someone like me!' he snapped, wincing as his headache decided to give a particularly nasty throb. He remembered Tonks' hurt face and felt even worse. Why couldn't Sirius just let him sleep? 'I- I don't want to talk about it,' he said falteringly.

Sirius moved his stool closer to the bed, which he noticed was the same one he'd sat on when visiting Buckbeak all those weeks ago. 'Well, too bad,' he said firmly. 'Because I do and at the moment you're not going anywhere. I think we both know you've got something of an inferiority complex as far as other people are concerned...'

Lupin attempted to interrupt, but he was cut off.

'No, shut up for a minute and listen. Even at Hogwarts you never felt you were good enough for anyone, and I always said it was going to hold you back, didn't I?' When he didn't receive any argument, he nodded. 'And that's why you've been avoiding her rather than telling her you aren't interested. Because you're still a terrible liar after all these years, and because you can't let go of the belief that you just aren't good enough for her.'

Lupin swallowed. 'I'm too old for her. I'm too poor, too dangerous…'

Sirius leant forward. 'She's old enough to make her own decisions, and you know there are more important things than money.' He reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. 'There are worse things than being a werewolf, Remus,' he said gently.

Lupin looked away. 'I couldn't bear the thought of harming her.'

He laughed softly. 'She's part of an organisation that is working against the entire Ministry of Magic in order to combat a dark sorcerer whose name most people still won't speak, despite the common belief that he's been dead for over ten years. I don't think you're going to add very much as far as risk goes.'

Lupin almost smiled, but then the sound of Tonks' retreating footsteps and the slam of the front door echoed once more in his mind. 'I think it might be a little late for apologies,' he said reluctantly. Sirius looked down at the floor, but said nothing.

As he fidgeted, Lupin was once again all too aware of his injuries. 'I don't often break anything during a full moon,' he observed, more to change the subject than anything. Whilst he was used to scratches and bruises, it wasn't very often that he ended up in this bad a state.

'No, you don't,' Sirius agreed, avoiding his eyes.

'Did anything happen?'

Several moments passed before he replied. 'I suppose I'd better tell you anyway, since no doubt Kreacher will be spreading it as far as he can.' He sighed. 'You howled for practically the whole night, and when you weren't scratching or biting yourself you were crashing off the cellar walls. I don't think I've ever heard you sound so miserable.'

'Oh,' said Lupin.

'You might be able to hide it for most of the time, but not from me.' Sirius stood up. 'So don't you try and tell me you don't have feelings for her, Remus.'

Lupin blinked rapidly as he felt a lump in his throat, though whether it was from pain, exhaustion or sheer overload of information didn't know. 'Do you think I should go to her?' he asked hoarsely.

Sirius nodded slowly. 'I think it might be a good idea.'


	9. Chasing the Sun

_Author's Note: The last chapter is finally here! Once again, a big thank you to everyone who took the time to read or review. I'm so pleased that so many people have followed it (patiently) along and enjoyed it. It's been fun writing this series and it certainly ended up being a lot longer than I'd originally planned but all the support I received along the way made it worthwhile._ _You guys are awesome!_

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><p>Every step was an effort as Lupin descended the stairs, trying not to lean too heavily on the thin walking cane at his side. Full moon nights often left him a little unsteady on his feet, though he disliked to be seen with it since it provided such a visible reminder of his condition.<p>

By the time he'd managed to gather sufficient strength to get up and change into his usual clothes it was late afternoon, and he paused on the stairs to admire the orange sunbeams still leaking through the dusty windows. He was glad not to have missed the daylight.

There wasn't much to do after two o'clock on a Monday so most of the Order members had already gone home. Lupin watched a small group walk past him without a glance, deep in conversation as they headed towards the front door. Each was careful to avoid the troll's leg umbrella stand and cast cursory looks at the portrait behind the black curtain. Lupin's heart sank. The sight of it was enough to remind him of last night, and his good mood instantly vanished. He didn't even know if Tonks was still here, let alone where she might be...

Alastor's wooden leg clunked against the floorboards as he walked. 'In the study, Remus,' he growled as he passed, his magical eye swivelling to look through the back of his head.

'Pardon?' asked Lupin, wondering if it was possible for the grizzled Auror to read minds as well, but he was already off down the hallway after the chattering group. As he passed the threshold, their conversation abruptly ceased.

Lupin sighed and leant on the banister, wondering how far gossip had spread. Since Moody wasn't one for idle chatter, he assumed it had gone further than he'd hoped. Now he supposed he had no excuse but to go and see her, though what he was going to say he still hadn't decided yet.

The house was quiet as he made his way to the study. It seemed a long walk even with his limp, and by the time he reached the closed door he was beginning to have second thoughts. Perhaps it would be better if he left Tonks alone. She probably wouldn't be in the mood for talking.

But Sirius was right, he'd done enough running away. The least he could do was to make amends- or try to. A week of avoiding her had made him realise that he missed her company more than he'd like to admit.

The study appeared deserted when he peered around the door, but then he saw Tonks sitting on the sofa at the other end of the room, notepad balanced on her lap. She was twirling a quill idly through her fingers, staring into space with no visible intention of writing anything. He cleared his throat softly to let her know he was there.

Tonks started, the quill falling from her hand. An inkwell was balanced precariously on the arm of the sofa, and as her elbow jerked it was knocked off and spilled onto the carpet. 'Oh, hello Remus.' Looking flustered, she snatched up the inkwell and pointed her wand at the stain, but only succeeded in turning it orange. 'I thought you were supposed to be resting?' she said with a hint of irritation in her voice.

'Do you mind if I come in?' he asked, feeling equally embarrassed as she self-consciously ran a hand through her hair. Today it was a  
>strange shade of olive, but the blotches of brown showing through suggested that she hadn't really put her heart into it.<p>

'I-' She let out her breath in a sigh. 'Yeah. Fine. Come in.'

Lupin closed the door behind him, doing his best to hide the awkwardness that came with moving. Her eyes flicked down to the cane at his side and he knew it hadn't been missed. Tonks made no move to clear her things from the seat beside her so he sat down on the sofa opposite. Then he tried to think of something to say.

Tonks turned her attention to the blank notepad and began writing with exaggerated interest. Then her quill ran out, and since the inkwell was now empty she had no way of ignoring him any longer. Slowly, her brown eyes rose to his face. 'You look terrible,' she observed after some seconds had passed.

Lupin resisted the urge to cover the cut on his cheek with his hand. No doubt there would be another scar once it had healed properly. 'Some months are more difficult than others,' he said carefully. He wondered if word about his "episode"had reached her ears.

'Molly said it was bad.' She looked down at her paper. 'I was going to come see you but Sirius said you were still sleeping.'

Lupin was touched. For a moment he wondered why Sirius hadn't attempted to wake him up and ask him first, then he remembered the state he'd been in when he'd first awoken. 'That was... kind of you,' he said lamely.

Tonks shrugged, still not looking at him. There was no point in putting it off any longer; this small talk was pointless.

Lupin leaned forward. 'Tonks, I owe you an apology.'

Tonks raised her eyebrows, resting her chin on her hand. 'Yeah, you do.'

'I'm sorry for what happened yesterday,' he told her. 'I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I'm not in my right mind the night before a transformation and I jumped to conclusions.'

'You know I'd never abuse your trust like that,' Tonks burst out. 'You're my friend, my- my best friend.' She lowered her gaze. 'I wouldn't do that to you.'

He nodded wholeheartedly. 'I know you wouldn't.'

She wasn't convinced by this assurance. 'I didn't tamper with any of the bottles apart from when we opened some of them,' she said hotly, pointing her quill at him, 'and you were with me the whole time. And you can ask Fred and George if you won't take my word for it.'

He frowned. 'Fred and George?'

'It's for their joke shop.' She waved a hand dismissively. 'They couldn't have them delivered to the Burrow in case Molly found out, so I had them hidden in the drawing room until they could come and collect them.'

'So then, what happened...' Lupin thought back to last night, wondering how he could have been so sure that he'd consumed Amortentia. He'd smelt the candle burning on the coffee table, the old book he'd been reading and the hot chocolate she'd given him. But more than that, he'd felt... warmth rose to his cheeks. That meant he couldn't blame the potion for what had occurred.

'But they'll verify that not a single bottle was missing or used.' Tonks didn't seem to have noticed his awkwardness. 'If you've got any veritaserum, y'know, truth potion, then I'll prove it. I never intended for you even _think-_'

'It's alright Tonks,' he said, trying not to grimace as his headache threatened to resurface. 'I believe you. I should never even have doubted you.'

'Yeah, well- well good.' Tonks sank back in her seat, somewhat mollified by this. Her irritated expression softened a little as some of the fight went out of her, and for a while she appeared to be thinking of what to say. The silence stretched out between them, though it wasn't quite as frosty as before. When she spoke again, her voice was hesitant. 'I think I owe you an apology as well.'

'No, you don't,' Lupin said at once. 'I should have been more responsible, more...'

'You really do blame yourself for everything, don't you Remus?' Tonks shook her head in disbelief, putting down her quill. 'It's not like I didn't give you good _reason_ to think that I might put something in your drink. I don't know how you put up with me for so long, to be honest.' She crossed her legs in typical Tonks fashion, putting the notepad to one side. Lupin sensed that she was about to say something personal, so did his best to show her that he was alert and paying attention.

'I don't really know why I did it,' Tonks confessed, picking up her wand and turning it through her hands. 'Messing around with you, I mean. I'm not good at talking to people. Properly talking, like important stuff. I couldn't just come out and say it. I guess it was my roundabout way of telling you...' She trailed off, then sighed. 'When you started avoiding me I thought you might be holding back for my sake. I suppose it just didn't occur to me that it was a polite way of saying you weren't interested. It was selfish of me, really.'

Lupin looked down, careful to school his features into a neutral expression. Tonks nodded sadly and seemed to take this as confirmation. She went on falteringly, 'And I did it because... I liked it. Keeping you on your toes was fun, it broke up the monotony of everything we do here.' She looked down at the floor, and all of a sudden she looked much older, a different person to the jokey young witch who had made him coffee one morning. She lowered her voice. 'When I'm with you, I can forget how much is riding on us. I can forget we're fighting a war, that any day could be our last. It gave me a reason to keep going, a reason to- to be.' She snorted. 'Childish, I know.'

'That's not childish,' said Lupin softly.

'Isn't it?' She looked up at him, searching his face for truth.

'Why do you think I made friends with the biggest pair of troublemakers at Hogwarts?' he said with a smile. 'Because I was going through a difficult time, still getting used to the fear of transforming. Being with them helped me to forget, they got me through those times.' He looked at the young woman who had made his days at the Order that much more bearable. 'Never underestimate the value of happiness, Tonks. It's the whole reason we're fighting in the first place.'

Tonks blinked back at him then looked away, embarrassed. 'Yeah.'

She was quiet for a while as if considering this, and once again the silence stretched between them. Lupin watched her out of the corner of his eye. He was glad they'd patched up their argument, though he still sensed a barrier between them. As the minutes slowly passed, he thought back on Tonks' words and everything they'd talked about. It was time he had a good, long think.

So Lupin thought about his condition, and the danger it held for others, how he ought to be responsible. He considered the possibility of someone else sharing this pain and having to endure it. His friends had known what they were getting into when they'd befriended him. And they'd stayed with him through Hogwarts, without him ever asking.

Then Lupin looked up and regarded Tonks, who was staring at the empty fireplace, lost in thought. He considered the years that stood between them, and the duty of the Order that rested on both their shoulders. Then he thought about the war, and what it might mean if things were left unsaid. _Never underestimate the value of happiness, _he'd told her, but was he taking his own advice?

As he watched her, she seemed to become anew, and he realised he was looking at a possibility he hadn't dared to consider. There were worse things than being a werewolf. This war could kill them at any time. And any opportunity at happiness should be made the most of, before it vanished forever.

'Tonks,' he said in a voice that sounded much calmer than he felt. 'Come over here.'

Tonks looked up at him, puzzled, but she placed her quill and pad on the pile of stuff beside her and rose to her feet. 'Why, are you afraid we'll be overheard? I promise to shout more quietly if you piss me off,' she said jokingly, though she looked slightly apprehensive as she sat down beside him. She put a decent amount of space between them, he noticed. Clearly she was worried she'd offend him again.

It took him a while to find the words he was searching for, but she didn't interrupt. Finally, he turned to her. 'You were right,' he said. 'You always could read me like a book.'

Tonks shook her head. 'You're kidding, right? I never know what you're thinking.' She interlaced her fingers and rested them on her lap. 'What was I right about?'

He took a deep breath. 'I _was_ holding back for your sake.'

She blinked.

'I didn't like to think what the consequences might be,' he continued. 'With so many years between us, and- and with me being a werewolf.'

'I'm not a child any more, Remus,' said Tonks gently.

'No, you're not,' he agreed. 'And you're perfectly capable of making your own decisions. I just worry that I'll put you in danger, that I'm not...'

'Not good enough?' Tonks looked incredulous, then amused, then sad. 'Remus, you can't-'

'I've known for a lot longer than you have,' he interrupted, determined to say his piece before he lost the nerve to. In some ways it was good he was still exhausted; he doubted he'd be nearly as capable of having this conversation whilst awake and alert. 'I just didn't allow myself to properly consider it. What happened yesterday... I should have recognised the feeling for what it was. I suppose I didn't want to admit to myself how much I cared.' He thought again of his angry words, his storming off, and the extra pain that transformation had held. 'I didn't want to believe how little control I had.'

Finally the words were said, but still he couldn't bring himself to look at her. It felt good to say it at last, after so long. He'd never told anyone, not even Sirius. At least he'd tried; from now on there would be no need to lie, to hide how he really felt. Whatever happened now, he'd have no regrets.

Then Tonks' hand found his, and he knew everything was going to be alright.

She laughed quietly as she shook her head, and when she looked at him he saw she had tears in her eyes.

'Are you alright?' he asked, concerned as he squeezed her hand. Had he said something to upset her?

She smiled, her brown eyes shining in the light. He'd always loved her eyes. 'You're such a prat,' she said fondly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

The next kiss was much better than the first from last night, though it was scarcely more than a slight grazing of lips. Then Tonks shuffled closer and wrapped her arms around him to kiss him properly, the warmth of her body vanquishing the chill that had settled within him that dreadful night. He hugged her tightly, never wanting to let her go again. When she pulled away he hid his face in her hair, smiling. It was just like coming home. But then there had never been anyone else. For a long time they remained in silence, each content in the other's company.

'The entire Order is going to be gossiping about us, y'know,' said Tonks a little while later, interlocking her fingers with his.

He shrugged. 'Let them.'

Tonks beamed back at him, her eyes sparkling, and he realised that she hadn't ever answered his question. 'You never explained why you don't change your eye colour,' he reminded her.

'No, I didn't, did I?' Tonks' smile turned to one of slight embarrassment. 'You complimented me on them once,' she said eventually. 'Not long after we first met, I said they were boring and I was thinking of changing them. You told me they reminded you of a forest as the sun was setting.'

Lupin chuckled. 'Oh dear, did I really say that? You must have thought me very pretentious.' Now that he thought back he remembered that day. It had been a full moon the following night and he'd been a little out of sorts, not guarding his words as carefully as he usually did.

'Actually, I thought it was charming.' She shrugged. 'But then, what else would I expect from someone who reads poetry in their spare time?' At his blank look, she wiggled her fingers and said in a spooky voice, _'Twas noontide of summer, and mid-time of night..._'

'..._And stars, in their orbits, shone pale, thro' the light_.' Lupin finished the verse with surprise. 'How did you-?'

She smirked back at him. 'You've listened to my humming often enough to know what Green Day is, and you assume that I haven't read your stodgy Muggle poetry?'

'It isn't stodgy,' said Lupin, affronted, 'It's cultural.'

Tonks' smile grew wider and more genuine. 'Ever the knowledgeable professor,' she said fondly.

Lupin smiled back. 'Perhaps I should have taught Muggle Studies rather than Defence Against the Dark Arts.'

'Perhaps,' she reasoned, 'but then you wouldn't be here.' She prodded him in the chest. 'And that would be a shame.' She snuggled into his side, and for a while they stayed like that. He wondered if anyone would notice if the two of them fell asleep in here.

As he closed his eyes, a thought occurred to Lupin. 'So when you came into my room that night...'

She stiffened slightly. 'Well, I did lose my wand, and get locked in... and Kreacher _did _wake me up.'

'But...' he prompted.

She smiled ruefully. 'Okay, I knew it was your room. But what was I supposed to do, sleep in the bath?' She wriggled as he poked her in the side, ticklish. 'Hey!'

'Nymphadora Tonks, you will be the death of me,' he told her as she shrank away from him, laughing. 'What am I supposed to do with you?'

'Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something.' She winked at him, then yawned.

Lupin leant back. 'Tired?'

'Didn't sleep well over the weekend,' she explained reluctantly. 'I would've thought _you'd_ be exhausted, too. Are you even supposed to be up yet?'

'I've been asleep for a whole day,' he said, though he suddenly realised just how tired he still felt. It would be easy for him to drift off here, in the warmth of the afternoon light with Tonks beside him. Too easy, in fact.

As Tonks rested her head on his shoulder Lupin gazed out the window, admiring the sunlight. For so long he'd turned away from his own happiness, but no more. He was done with obeying the wills of the moon; it was time to start chasing the sun. The thought brought a smile to his face.

'What are you thinking?' Tonks murmured sleepily in his ear.

Lupin looked down at her, watching the light turn strands of her hair into threads of gold and bronze. 'Nothing at all,' he assured her, kissing the top of her head. Then he closed his eyes and allowed himself to be carried off to sleep.

For once his dreams were free of darkness. Instead he dreamed of hope and laughter and a future not so bleak. And though he slept deeply, Lupin smiled, content in the knowledge that he was sitting beside the person he loved most in the world.

And for once, all was good.


End file.
